‘Residue’ Director Merawi Gerima Talks New Impactful Film

Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing independent film collective, which amplifies the creative voices of people of color and women of all kinds, will premiere Merawi Gerima’s striking new feature RESIDUE on September 17th on Netflix and in select virtual theaters.

Written, directed and produced by DC native Merawi Gerima, RESIDUE is an inventive and powerful story about identity, gentrification and the difficulty of returning home. RESIDUE premieres as an official selection at this year’s 77thVenice International Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori, which begins this weekend. The film is a powerful and poetic reflection on topics that are both deeply personal and undeniably universal. 

We had the opportunity to talk to ‘Residue’ Director Merawi Gerima about his new film:

The film’s exploration of the impact of gentrification, underemployment and Black male identity in Washington D.C., and that is duplicated in other major cities – Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Harlem/Brooklyn/The Bronx/Queens, LA, St. Louis, Houston/Dallas –  conjures the current interrogation of the systemic racism plaguing Black communities nationwide.